Hammer



G. R. TARBOX 2,884,970

HAMMER May 5, 1959 Filed May 20, 1957 INVENTOR. 6 0 392 2?. Yarbo United States Patent HAMMER George R. Tarbox, Cheshire, Conn., assignor to Eastern Malleable Iron Company, Naugatuck, Conn., a company of Connecticut Application May 20, 1957, Serial No. 660,151

6 Claims. (Cl. 145-36) The present invention relates to a hammer and more particularly to a hammer which has removable striking inserts.

Heretofore hammers of the above disclosed type have been constructed such as shown in the United States patent to Stevens, No. 2,317,862, in which the hammer head is composed of two sections. The handle of the hammer is pinned to one section and a threaded connection including a nut causes forcing of the other section into engagement with the first and thus holds the second section on the handle. This construction of a hammer head presents many disadvantages. For example, the hole in the handle where the pin goes through may become enlarged, causing the head to be shiftable with respect to the handle. In addition, the threads of the threaded connection become stripped which makes the hammer unusable and the shape of the sections requires expensive molding procedures in addition to a machining operation for making the threads.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate the above disadvantages in a hammer having a two-section head.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in the type of hammer heretofore mentioned for a single element to secure both sections directly to the hammer handle with provision for taking up any looseness which may later occur between the handle and the head.

A further object is to provide a hammer handle in which the parts may be economically manufactured, thereby effectuating a substantial reduction in the cost thereof.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a hammer of the above type in which the weight of the hammer head may be varied by the insertion of various weights.

In attaining the above objects there is provided a hammer having a head composed of an upper and lower section which when mated form a somewhat elongated cylindrical shaped head with the junction of the sections being along the major axis thereof. The lower section has an integral elongate socket which receives the tapered end of the handle and the upper section has an aperture aligned when the sections are mated with the socket of the lower section. The single element which holds the sections together and fast to the handle is a screw which has a shank passing through the aperture and threads engaging the end of the handle. The screw causes the end of the handle to become enlarged and thus wedge itself firmly in the socket while the head of the screw positively fastens the upper section to the handle. Additionally the screw permits the sections to be separated so ,that striking inserts formed of rawhide, lead, etc. may

be positioned in cavities at each end of the head. Coni' cal projections are formed on each section which penetrate the insert upon the screw forcing the sections together to secure the inserts to the hammer handle.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a weight which may be inserted into the head of the hammer.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the weight in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an axial section of another embodiment of a hammer of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 in particular, the hammer of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 and consists of a handle 11, preferably of wood, and a head 12. The head has cylindrical inserts 13 at each end which form the striking faces of the hammer. These inserts may be rawhide, lead or other material.

According to the present invention the head of the hammer is composed of an upper section 14 and a lower section 15. As shown, the head is a substantially elongated cylinder and is split along its major axis into the two separable sections. The lower section 15 is provided with an elongate socket 16 into which an end 17 of the handle 11 is positioned. If desired, the socket may be tapered. The upper section 12 has a countersunk aperture 18 aligned with the socket 16. A Wood screw 19 has a head engaging the aperture 18 and a threaded shank which threads into the end 17 of the handle.

It will be appreciated that the wood screw performs a plurality of functions with respect to each of the parts. Thus it functions with respect to the lower section as a wedge to circumferentially enlarge the end of the handle and causes a wedging force between the sides of the socket and the handle to positively secure the lower section to the handle. For the upper section, the screw serves as a link to positively secure it to the handle by the head of the screw engaging the upper section while the threads engage the handle. Moreover it will be appreciated that the screw permits adjustment of the head to the handle should play occur therebetween. Thus, should the handle become loose in the socket, only a mere tightening of the screw is required to cause further wedging of the handle in the socket and securing of the sections tightly together and to the handle.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the upper section has an inwardly directed radial partition 20 on each side of the aperture 18. Similarly the lower section has an inward radially directed partition 21 located on either side of the socket 16. The partitions mate and define at each end of the handle cylindrical cavities 22 which receive the inserts 13. In order to hold the inserts in the cavities, the upper section and the lower section have at each cavity, conical projections 23 which penetrate the inserts to hold them securely in position. Thus, as the lower section and upper section are forced together by the screw, the projections are caused to penetrate the inserts and hold them when the sections are together and, of course, unscrewing the screw enables the substitution of new inserts.

In both embodiments, that of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, there is a hollow chamber indicated generally by reference numeral 24 formed adjacent the socket when the sections are mated. The chamber may remain hollow in some instances when the weights of the sections and inserts are of the desired weight. Hammers, however, are classified by the weight of the heads with the weight of the head of each class being different. In order to prevent the necessity of having different sections of different shape and hence weight for each variation in hammer head weight, there is provided according to the present invention weights which may be positioned in the head to vary the weight thereof. Thus the same sections 14 and 15 may be utilized in more than one size of hammer and the head of the hammer may be adjusted in weight to the desired size. The embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 has no weight therein though it is obvious that weights may be inserted in the chamber 24 if desired.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, a weight 25, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, is positioned in the chamber formed in the hammer head. The weight is shown as a solid of two separate parts and preferably is formed of lead or other heavy material. Though shown solid the weight of the weight 25 may be varied about the axis of the handle by holes, etc. cut thereinto. The weight conforms generally to the shape of the chamber 24 and hence is unshiftable therein. However it is presently preferred to provide a pair of bolts 26 for further preventing any shifting of the weight. The bolts pass through apertures 27 in the upper section 14 and are threaded into threaded apertures 28 in the lower section. The weight shown in Fig. 3 when positioned together has a tunnel 29 on each side of the socket opening 30 and through which the bolts pass. Thus the weights are firm- 1y held against movement. The bolts serve the further function of aiding the screw in holding the two sections together and are particularly advantageous on hammers having heavier heads which are used for heavy duty work.

It will thus be apparent that there has been disclosed a hammer having a two-section head in which only a single element serves to cause wedging of the handle to one section and securement of the other section to the handle. This element which is specifically illustrated as a wood screw further permits increasing the securement of the head to the handle should looseness develop. Moreover the hammer of the present invention provides for adjusting the weight of the hammer head by the addition of weights whenever desired. The hammer additionally provides for the securing of inserts thereto without requiring additional elements by having integral conical projections formed on each section. The inserts when desired to be replaced are easily removed simply by separating the sections of the handle.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

v 1. A hammer comprising a handle; a somewhat cylindrical head split along its major axis into independent upper and lower sections, the lower section having an elongate socket extending radially towards the upper section, the upper section having an aperture normally aligned with the socket and being formed with a chamber adjacent the aperture; and a screw having a shank passing through the apeiture and threaded into the end of the handle to cause wedging between the handle and the lower section while the head of the screw secures the upper section to the handle.

2. A hammer comprising a handle; a somewhat cylindrical head split along its major axis into independent upper and lower sections, the lower section having an elongate socket extending radially towards the upper section, the upper section having an aperture aligned with the socket and being formed with a chamber adjacent the aperture and in which the upper and lower sections each have two radially, inwardly extending partitions,

the exterior surface of the partitions being inwardly spaced from the ends of the head and defining a substantially cylindrical opening at each end into which removable striking inserts may be positioned; and a screw having a shank passing through the aperture and threaded into the end of the handle to cause wedging between the handle and the lower section while the head of the screw secures the upper section to the handle.

3. A hammer comprising a handle; a somewhat cylindrical head split along its major axis into independent upper and lower sections, the lower section having an elongate socket extending radially towards the upper section, the upper section having an aperture aligned with the socket and being formed with a chamber adjacent the aperture and in which the head defines cylindrical cavities at each end of its major axis into which removable striking inserts may be positioned; and a screw having a shank passing through the aperture and threaded into the end of the handle to cause wedging between the handle and the lower section while the head of the screw secures the upper section to the handle.

4. A hammer comprising a handle; a somewhat cylindrical hollow head split along its major axis into independent upper and lower sections, the lower section having an elongate socket extending radially towards the upper section, the upper section having an aperture aligned with the socket, said head including a chamber between the socket and interior Wall of the head, weight means remov'ably positioned in said chamber; and a screw having a shank passing through the aperture and threaded into the end of the handle to cause wedging between the handle and the lower section while the head of the screw secures the upper section to the handle.

5. A hammer comprising a handle; a somewhat cy1indrical hollow head split along its major axis into independent upper and lower sections, the lower section having an elongate socket extending radially towards the upper section, the upper section having an aperture aligned with the socket, each section having two radially, inwardly extending partitions, the partitions being located between the ends of the head and the socket, said head including a chamber defined by the partitions, socket and interior wall of the head; weight means removably positioned in the chamber thereby permitting adjustment of the weight of the hammer; and a screw having a shank passing through the aperture and threaded into the end of the handle to cause wedging between the handle and the lower section while the head of the screw secures the upper section to the handle.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 in which a pair of bolts extend radially through apertures in the upper section and are threaded into the lower section and pass through the chamber to aid in preventing shifting of the weight means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 159,193 Logan Jan. 26, 1875 1,409,449 Hulslander Mar. 14, 1922 1,475,969 Schroeder Dec. 4, 1923 2,317,862 Stevens Apr. 27, 1943 2,462,959 Hardy Mar. 1, 1949 

